Tales From the rails Episode stories
by OliverGWRengine
Summary: All the stories for my New Youtube Thomas Series.
1. Chapter 1

Gordon and Ferdinand

It was a bustling summers day on Sodor. All the engines were busy. Trucks and coaches were scattered throughout the yards. Gordon had been relegated onto the goods workings with Hiro and Neville. The big blue express engine hated trucks, but the Fat Controller needed to press every available engine into service. Since Gordon had nothing to do, he was pressed into service.

"This is an indignity," groaned the express engine.

"Oh, give your whinging a rest," Neville muttered. The Q1 was never impressed with Gordon's whinging or his pompous attitude.

Now, every wise engine knows that you can't trust trucks. The only engines who can handle trucks without anything bad happening to the them are Edward, Donald, Douglas, Duck and Salty. Bear also can haul trucks, but he is often seen taking it in turns to help Gordon, Henry, James, Hiro and Molly on the express between Tidmouth and Barrow. The Fat Controller has a High Speed Train, with two HST Diesels called Pip and Emma, who supply a fast connection between Tidmouth and King's Cross.

Not only do passenger trains run between Tidmouth and Barrow, but goods trains run between Tidmouth and Barrow as well. Often times, a cargo ship of goods will dock at Tidmouth Harbour, quite by accident, and then a Sundrian engine has to take the goods to the Other Railway.

It was due to one of the cargo ships docking at Tidmouth port that put Gordon on to the goods. When Gordon grumbled in with a line of empty trucks, he saw Ferdinand, the Climax class C logging loco, shunting some trucks, loaded with goods from the ship , into a siding.

"Hullo, Gordon," called Ferdinand, as he reversed out of the siding, to collect more trucks to be loaded, "You here to help?"

Gordon grunted in disgust. He hated trucks. Goods work wasn't dignified enough for an express engine. He said nothing, but waited for the flat trucks in front of him to be loaded with pipes. Once the last load was placed on the flat truck and secured, he shunted them into a siding, next to some coal trucks. As he was reversing, Paxton, the little green with lime stripe class 08 diesel shunter pulled in with a train of empty cattle wagons. When Ferdinand backed down next to him, Paxton looked at the logging engine.

"The Fat Controller has requested that you and Gordon take workmen, the Lion of Sodor, timber and glass to make a shelter for it, tile for the roof, sacks of coal, food, drink, and some post to the Duke and Duchess of Boxford," the little diesel said.

"Right away," huffed Ferdinand.

"Wait a minute, the coupling on the rear two wagons is weak. Go slow and take the tracks crossing the fenland. The mainline route is closed, due to rails needing to be replace," Paxton warned.

"Thank you, little Pax, but I don't need any warnings," Gordon fumed and stormed off, tender first. Ferdinand just chuckled and puffed off after Gordon.

When Ferdinand arrived, he saw the works coach, the Lion of Sodor statue was loaded into a high sided wagon, a flatbed with timber, a flatbed with pipes, a postal van, two vans, one with a food symbol and the other with a drink label, four trucks, two with sacks of coal and two with tiles. Ferdinand backed down beside the train.

"My word, this is a _long _train," puffed Ferdinand.

'The Fat Controller has requested you to be the back engine," the stationmaster said.

"I think that's a bad idea," replied Ferdinand's driver, "Ferdinand can't go at Gordon's speed."

"Well, that train has to be taken. Your engine is the only engine fit for the braking job," the stationmaster said.

With that, Ferdinand and his driver had to be content. It was a few minutes later, that Gordon arrived, reversing into the station, after being held up in a siding, to allow Murdoch to pass with a drag goods. When Gordon arrived, he was shifted over to the track where the goods train waited.

"Ugh, goods trains, silly little goods engines, the injustice," he moaned.

"Stow it," Gordon's driver sighed.

The shunter coupled Gordon to the train and the station master told Gordon that he had to take it slow, and to use the track along the fenland.

"The injustice," Gordon muttered as the train rattled away.

The route ran through Wellsworth station, over Gordon's Hill, and through Maron station, which is a stop point for all trains coming or going over Gordon's Hill. At Maron, Henry was waiting with a goods train to proceed down the line, while Charlie waited with a passenger train to ascend Gordon's Hill.

When Gordon arrived, Charlie burst out laughing

"Well, Flash my firebox! Gordon's being helped by Ferdinand!" Charlie laughed.

"Really, I though Gordon was a strong and fast engine, who pulled the express, and was never seen around dirty trucks," Henry chuckled.

Gordon stayed silent. He was hating every minute of having to work with Ferdinand. To make matters worse, a group of children came over.

"Coo!" one said

"It's Gordon! And he's on goods!" another called.

Gordon's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Once the signal changed, he pulled away, hiding in a cloud of steam. Ferdinand whistled politely as he passed Charlie, the kids and Henry. Henry and Charlie returned the greeting.

Soon, the train reached the junction to the fenland track. Gordon waited until the signalman set the points to allow their train to proceed along the fenland track. Once on the wooden trestle structure that stretched junction to junction, Gordon began to pick up speed. Ferdinand began panting and trying to keep up with Gordon's speed.

"SLOW DOWN!" Ferdinand shouted over the rattle of the trucks and coach.

"I DON'T LISTEN TO SILLY LITTLE ENGINES!" Gordon shouted back and went even faster.

What happened next, no one knows. Gordon says that Ferdinand was slowing him down. Ferdinand says that Gordon was going to fast and the coupling between the second coal wagon and first slate wagon was being strained to unbearable lengths.

The first instance of anything wrong was when Ferdinand saw a link of chain from the coupling fly up and the lead slate truck wobble uncontrollably. Ferdinand's driver shut off steam and locked up brakes in a hurry.

But it was too late to stop the uncontrollable trucks.

The first slate truck hit a rather large snag in the rails and leapt off the track, hauling the second one and Ferdinand off the tracks, and the procession smashed through the wooden guard rail and into the mud of the fenland. Ferdinand unluckily ended up in a puddle of muddy water, which sloshed at his fire and managed to swamp it.

Gordon didn't know anything about what had happened until he arrived at the platform, which connected to the dirt road, which lead up to the summerhouse. The stationmaster looked at the rear of Gordon's train

"Where are the slate trucks? And Ferdinand?" he asked

"They're on the rear of our train," Gordon replied.

"They must be invisible then," the stationmaster said.

Gordon's driver looked back and saw no trucks or Ferdinand. He sighed and looked at Gordon.

"You foolish engine!" He snapped, "We went to fast and ended up snapping the coupling on the slate truck and they came off and landed into the marshy fen! Brilliant!"

Gordon felt absolutely stupid now. Not only had he disobeyed rules, he also lost two important trucks and a brake-engine.

Gordon shunted the rest of the train into a siding out of the way and reversed to the fenland tracks. Once on the fenland track, his crew began to look for Ferdinand. It was the driver who found the Climax Class C logging engine.

Ferdinand's crew flagged them down. Ferdinand was cold, wet, muddy and overall miserable. When he saw Gordon, he wasn't to thrilled to see him.

"Get help," said Ferdinand's Driver, "we'll let the signalmen know to close the line, except for the breakdown gang."

Gordon puffed away, while Ferdinand's crew ran to close the line. In no time, Gordon returned with Henry, who was pulling Rocky, the breakdown train, three flatbeds and a coach of workmen. It was hard work, but they managed to life a muddy and swamped Ferdinand, plus the two trucks. The men salvaged what slate they could. It was some time later that the men could get an empty wagon for the salvaged slate, seeing as all the other engines were busy. Henry and Gordon switched places and Henry pulled Ferdinand to the works. Stanley was soon trundling up the line with an empty wagon and two more loaded wagons of slate. Stanley stopped along side the two wagons and the men moved the salvaged slate into Stanley's empty wagon, between the second slate truck and the goods brake. Once the trucks were delivered, Stanley went back to help Henry repair the fenland tracks.

Later that night, the Fat Controller came to see the engines.

"Due to Ferdinand being stuck in the mud and mud logged and suffering brake damage, he will be away for two months to be completely overhauled," the Fat Controller said to the engines. With that, the Fat Controller walked away.

Once the Fat Controller was out of eye and earshot, Henry shot Gordon a suspicious look as the big blue engine smirked to himself.

"So, Gordon, mind telling us what happened between you, Ferdinand and the fenland track today," the Stainer built engine asked.

Gordon looked at Henry and chuckled.

"Nothing happened, my dear Henry."

"That's what you say. I will find the truth out."


	2. Chapter 2

Investigation 

Autumn was settling in quite quick. Summer had come to an end, and with its end, the summer tourist traffic came to an end. However, for one certain engine, it was the ideal time to launch an investigation.

"We need to set Ferdinand right, as the innocent engine," Henry said to his crew.

Henry was right. The Fat Controller was telling Ferdinand off for such recklessness.

"I do not approve of this," he thundered. Ferdinand shuddered with fear. "You will shunt in the yards until I can trust you," The Fat Controller finished.

Ferdinand was now upset. His perfect record was ruined. And it wasn't his fault.

"You do know that the Fat Controller is a hard man to persuade," Henry's Driver told him. Henry said that he knew and that he would find evidence to free Ferdinand from his unjust punishment.

Henry's first job was to collect flat trucks and open wagons from the fenland track after the men had finished repairing it.

When Henry arrived, he was guided to the trucks by some workmen. When he came up to the trucks, he looked at the rails on the flat truck in front of him. Suddenly he shouted to his driver to come and look at the rails. His driver came up and saw that the rails had tell-tale marks of a large engine pounding them with a heavy load.

"Well done, Henry," said his driver. With that, Henry's driver took Henry to see the Fat Controller at the Big Station. When Henry arrived, the Fat Controller was talking to Ferdinand's crew.

!

That got the Fat Controller's attention.

"Henry, I am busy telling…" the Fat Controller began

"Sir, look at the rails on the flat truck," Henry interrupted.

The Fat Controller looked at the rails and back at Henry

"These marks, Sir, are the tell-tale marks that Ferdinand is not to blame for the accident. He wasn't being careless, but careful. These are the marks of a pacific steam engine pounding the rails with a heavy train. Now, Sir, who was the pacific that you assigned to work with Gordon?"

"Gordon."

"I suggest that you have a few words with Gordon and tell Ferdinand that he will not have to push trucks in the yards," Henry puffed.

The Fat Controller went to see Gordon, who was waiting in shed. Henry went to see Ferdinand at the works. He was to take the trucks to the scrap yards on the Other Railway, and decided to visit Ferdinand and tell him the good news.

When Henry returned, he saw Gordon waiting with a goods train.

How far is too far? Where do the prideful draw the line? The answer is: when they are defending their pride, when it is under 'attack' by another engine or person.

"I think Gordon's learning," Henry thought.

We can only hope, can't we.


	3. Chapter 3

Dart's postal run

Dart is a 0-4-0 diesel hydraulic shunter who helps out at the Dieselworks. The Dieselworks specializes in special types of diesels and diesel repairs. It was restored to help alleviate the works when they are overloaded. The Steamworks is the same, except that it deals with steam engines.

Den is the main diesel shunter at the Dieselworks. Dart is the assistant shunter, who scurries here and their collecting spare parts. Normally he is kept busy.

Today was a rather quiet spell at the Dieselworks. The Dieselworks manger came to see Dart and Den.

"Dart, seeing as there is no work for you at present, I am sending you to Ffarquhar to help out where possible," The manager told him.

"Yes, Sir," Dart tooted, and set off.

It was midday by the time Dart reached Knapford Junction. Thomas was running round his train and being coupled up to Clarabel for the return journey to Ffarquhar. Thomas wanted to say something after he was coupled to Clarabel, but the guard blew his whistle, signifying that it was time for Thomas to leave with the midday branch line service. Dart trundled up to Ffarquhar to see that Percy's postal trucks were sitting in the siding and the post wasn't going anywhere.

What no-one knew was that Percy was helping Mavis and Toby at Anopha Quarry, leaving no available engine to take Percy's post train. Stanley and Paxton were taking care of Percy's goods trains, Daisy and Thomas were running passenger trains. That meant that the post would be late.

"Say, Driver, can't we take the post train for Percy?" Dart asked.

His driver went to see the stationmaster and returned in five minutes.

"We're to take the post train until the quarry has a quiet spell, or until another small engine can be spared," his driver said.

Dart was coupled up to the train, facing backwards. He didn't mind, seeing as his driver could see out his rear cab window. Once all was ready, the guard blew his whistle and Dart set off down the line, stopping at all the stations and haults, dropping off sacks of letters and parcels. He quiet enjoyed the run. He had to stop in the loop at Dryaw to allow Thomas to pass with the return service. After Thomas passed, Dart continued to Knapford Junction. Once there, he waited for the signalman to set the points. Once they were set after a slow goods cleared the station, Dart continued onto the Big Station, where the rest of the post was taken to the sorting offices.

Dart ran round the train and backed onto it and coupled to it. Once all was ready, Dart set off, with the empty trucks back to Ffarquhar. The run back was rather quiet, seeing as there was no passenger service to bother his run. The setting sun gave Dart something to smile at and remember when his time here was up.

"This is lovely," he purred to his driver.

"Your right," said his driver.

For Dart this is only the beginning…but I mustn't tell you anymore or I shall spoil the next story.


	4. Chapter 4

Pilot Problems

The Big Station has always had a pilot, whether they were permanent or temporary. Percy was the first pilot at the Big Station. Thomas had piloted Vicarstown before being allocated to Wellsworth yards before getting his own branch line. After Percy left to work on Thomas's branch line, Duck came to the yards to help shunt trucks and pilot the Big Station. In 1957, the Fat Controller had brought Diesel from the Other Railway to trial as the pilot. After the fiasco that resulted in Duck being sent to Edward's Station, the Fat Controller sent Diesel away.

Later, when Donald and Douglas arrived, they helped pilot the Big Station. Soon after their Christmas Deputation, they often piloted the Big Station in their spare time, when they aren't out on the Little Western, Edward's branch line, the main line or shunting trucks around the yards.

However, the railway was expanding and more engines were needed to fill the roles of shunters, express, heavy goods and local passenger engines. When Misty Island was discovered and along with it, three engines, the Fat Controller took it as an opportunity to have three additions to his railway, and a specialized railway to help with any repair jobs.

It was summer and the engines were busier than ever. Trucks and coaches rattled about the yards, being prepared for their journeys. The big engines were complaining.

"It isn't fair," James protested, "Why should a splendid engine like me shunt?"

"We all have to shunt, so get over it," Neville snapped, after listening to James's nonstop whinging.

The trucks were making things worse. They slipped their brakes on to slow the engines down and make them late with their trains. This often caused trouble for the Fat Controller.

It was high time that the Fat Controller did something. The next day, he went to see Bash and Dash at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre and explained the problem.

"We'll be glad to help when we're not busy," Dash piped up.

The Fat Controller was pleased with the decision made.

"You start tomorrow," said the Fat Controller, "Duck will teach you everything he knows and everything that you need to know when shunting the yard."

The next day saw Bash and Dash being towed to the Big Station's yard by Hank on his slow goods. When they arrived, Duck, the little pannier tank engine was waiting for them.

Both were soon on good terms with Duck and he soon taught them everything he knows about station piloting and he even had special arrangements to come down every so often to see how the little logging loco twins were getting on.

As for the trucks, they soon found playing tricks on Bash and Dash a mistake. Two days later, when Duck came in to see how the logging loco twins were getting on in their new job, he noticed Dash backing up from a line of empty coal trucks that were playing up.

"You can't win this game, weakling," the trucks giggled.

"We'll see," Dash smirked. With that, Dash charged at the trucks at top speed. With a clang, the trucks began to move, despite having their brakes on. The trucks were surprised.

"Keep on the right side of those two," they whispered to each other.

Dash smiled. The trucks had learned not to mess with them. They didn't know what other tricks Bash and Dash had up their funnels.

That'll teach those trucks. We can only hope.


End file.
